Tastes Like
by darkflame1516
Summary: Post Fanning the Flames. A week later, Sam can still taste the kiss and only one thing will erase it. Dash tastes of failure...but what does Danny taste like? slight romance, DannyxS


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Danny Phantom characters.

SPECIAL THANKS TO the sleep warrior, my faithful beta and editor!

**Hello, welcome to just a short Danny Phantom one-shot. I wrote this while trying to get over my writer's block…seemed to help, so if you read any of my other stories I hope to update them soon too.**

**Hope you enjoy this, just a bit of Danny x Sam that I imagined…**

**Tastes Like**

Sam Manson stared at her reflection in the large mirror that hung over her bathroom sink. Her paler-than-normal skin was beading with sweat, and her lavender eyes held a near-haunted look to them. She glanced over at the large window beside the door and sighed deeply at the rising sun. It had been nearly a week since she, Danny, and Tucker had foiled Ember's plans for world domination, but she still couldn't get rid of the horrible taste that was lingering in her mouth.

_That taste…Why can't I get rid of it?_ She thought sourly as she gazed at her un-brushed ebony hair that glinted in the slowly increasing morning light. Lips curling into a grimace, she gently fingered the skull and crossbones adorning the handle of her hairbrush, then picked it up and quickly drew it through her hair. Soon her hair was lying flat and smooth like it always did, and she moved forward in her morning routine.

_Okay, let's run down the list…Woke up, fought with Mom over my choice in colors, got dressed, brushed hair…just brush teeth and eat breakfast left I guess…_ Reaching for her dark purple toothbrush, she paused for a moment as her fingers wrapped around the handle. _It seems like no matter how many times I brush my teeth or how much toothpaste I use, that stupid taste won't fade away…Why? I've tried everything I can think of and it's still there._

After squeezing a generous amount of environmentally-safe toothpaste onto the black bristles, she proceeded to scrub her mouth vigorously, including several strokes across her tongue, which was not something she usually did. _Until this past week at least…I'd do _anything _to get rid of this horrible taste, absolutely anything._

Hours later, she could still taste it. The toothpaste hadn't helped, it had just gotten rid of her morning-breath, and her breakfast, while delicious, had left only a slight after-flavor, not nearly enough to override the sickening taste. She knew what she was still tasting, but she just couldn't understand why it was still there. _Who would've thought that the taste of "jock" could be so lingering? I can't even remember Ember's lyrics as clearly as this, and I heard them for nearly a week straight thanks to Tucker…_

The bell rang loudly, dismissing her from her most dreaded class: Home Economics. She couldn't understand the idea that anyone would be happy being a housewife, but her guidance counselor had forced her to take it. Dashing out the door, she hurried to her locker to dump her books before lunch. The school food might not be edible, but she didn't want to be late to meet Danny and Tucker. She loved talking with them about the potential consequences of eating the questionable meals the cafeteria spewed out. Besides, if anything could rid her mouth of the taste, it was Casper High's vegetarian "meal", offered only on Wednesdays.

Strolling into the cafeteria behind the main crowd of rampaging students, she quickly spotted her friends standing in line, anxiously waiting to receive their slop of the day. They were talking incessantly, until something Tucker said made Danny turn towards her. He smiled, holding up the second tray in his hands for her to see, and mouthed the words "My treat". Sam grinned back at him, then walked to their normal table and took her seat to wait for them, letting her mind wander back to her predicament. _How come I can't forget what happened? I mean, I did it to free Danny from Ember's spell; I didn't enjoy it…Did I?_

After about 10 minutes, Danny and Tucker finally made it to the table and sat down across from her, Danny sliding a tray full of plain spaghetti at her, even though his was dripping in marinara sauce and dotted with pieces of sausage. _He knows just how I like my food…_

"Here you go, one meat-free and possibly edible meal, my treat," he said, grinning stupidly at her. Sam blushed a bit, but smiled back and took the food. As she picked up her fork to start eating, Tucker and Danny began to jabber on about something that had happened in their class while she'd been stuck in the horror that was Home Ec. She let herself space out, remembering how the guidance counselor had forced her out of her first-choice for a class. _Why didn't I just say "no" to that stupid counselor? I could be in woodshop with Danny and Tuck, but nooo…_

About halfway through their meal, Tucker said something that made Danny choke on his food and snapped Sam out of her daze. _What's that all about?_

Danny turned around fast in his chair, scanning the lunchroom while Tucker snickered.

"Relax Danny; he's not heading over here. Besides, he just shoved you in a locker, it's not like that's something new…" Sam followed her panicked friend's gaze and found herself staring straight at the cause of the bitter taste in her mouth: Dash Baxter. _So he shoved Danny into his locker _again_? I seriously regret what I did, there is absolutely _no_ way I could ever like him…_She reached her hand across the table and touched Danny's shaking hand, causing him to turn back around.

"Just ignore him Danny; he doesn't even know you're here."

"Oh yeah, that makes me _so_ much feel better…I think I'd rather get beaten up then be invisible." His tone was sarcastic, but his smile let her know he was joking; besides, he was invisible on a regular basis.

"Dash is just an idiot anyways, he's not worth your time Danny," she replied softly. They stared right at each other for a moment and then rapidly looked away, both blushing while Tucker shook his head a few times like he knew exactly what was going through their minds. _Ember's spell may have made it necessary to kiss Dash, but I know I would never have done it otherwise… _Sam put a hand to her mouth, very slowly fingering her bottom lip. It tingled at the memory of her moment with Dash…but now she knew for certain what the taste in her mouth was and why she didn't like it; failure tasted awful.

"Remembering about Dash?" Danny asked sullenly, noticing her movements around her lips. Sam shook her head, suddenly noticing a small spot of crimson sauce resting right at the corner of his mouth.

"No, just thinking about a strange taste in my mouth…"

"Really? What's it taste like?" His head tilted to his side, curiosity sparkling in his blue eyes. Sam felt almost like melting at his half-smile, but leaned forward instead.

Brushing her fingertips against his cheek, the tip of her forefinger found the spot of sauce and wiped it away. She then drew her hand back and stuck her now marinara-covered finger in her mouth, licking away the sauce and grinning at him.

"Tastes like tomato."

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